Pneumatic suspension system

Claim 2

In a levitated device supported by air from a source of levitating air, and having a plurality of individual separated flexible inflatable levitation pads forming separate levitation chambers open to the source of levitating air, and said pads further defining interior pad chambers surrounding the levitation chambers, each of said pad chambers including first means open to the source of levitating air for its associated levitation chamber, the improvement comprising means separate from the first means pneumatically connecting each pad chamber with a chamber formed by at least one separated inflatable pad on the device to provide a pad chamber pressure signal separate from the source of levitating air for that respective pad.

Claim 3

The combination as set forth in claim 1 and wherein said means separate from the first means comprises means to fluidly interconnect each of said pad chambers for fluid pressure communication with a levitating chamber of at least one pad on said device.

Claim 4

The combination as specified in claim 2 and orifice means in said means to interconnect said pad chambers and selected to provide a desired amount of pressure drop between said chambers.

Claim 5

The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein the device is a vehicle, said pads comprising flexible members depending from the vehicle, pressure signal opening means from each of said pad cHambers to said interconnect means, and check valve means in said signal opening means to prevent fluid from flowing out said pad chambers into said interconnect means, but to permit flow of fluid from said interconnect means back into said pad chamber.

Claim 6

The combination as specified in claim 2 and a separate plenum chamber for each of said pads, each of said levitation chambers opening to an associated plenum chamber, and said interconnect means being open to said plenum chambers, the opening from each levitation chamber to its respective plenum chamber being of smaller area than the total area of openings leading from each plenum chamber to said interconnect means.

Claim 7

The system of claim 1 wherein said levitated device operates on a track, said source of levitating air comprising a source of air under pressure available through said track, and valve means in said track to control flow of levitating air through said track.

Claim 8

In a levitated vehicle movable along a track and supported by air from a source of levitating air comprising valve means in the track operable to supply air under pressure to the underside of the track, said vehicle having a plurality of individual separated flexible inflatable levitation pads on the underside thereof, each forming a separate levitation chamber open to the track to receive levitating air, and said pads further defining interior pad chambers surrounding the levitation chambers, each of said pad chambers including first passage means open to the levitating chamber formed by said pad to provide a pressure inside said chamber which is a function of the pressure in its associated levitation chamber, the improvement comprising means separate from the first means pneumatically connecting the interior of each pad chamber with a levitation chamber formed by at least one of the separated inflatable pads on the vehicle to provide a pad chamber pressure signal which is a function of the pressure in the levitation pressure in a levitation chamber of a different pad, said means separate being selected so that the pad chamber pressure signal is provided by said separate means when the pressure in the levitation chamber of that pad drops significantly.

Claim 9

In a levitated vehicle movable along a track and supported by air from a source of levitating air comprising valve means in the track operable to supply air under pressure to the underside of the track, said vehicle having a plurality of individual separated flexible inflatable levitation pads on the underside thereof, each forming a separate levitation chamber open to the track to receive levitating air, and said pads further defining interior pad chambers surrounding the levitation chambers, each of said pad chambers including first passage means open to the levitating chamber formed by said pad to provide a pressure inside said chamber which is a function of the pressure in its associated levitation chamber, the improvement comprising means separate from the first means pneumatically connecting the interior of each pad chamber with a levitation chamber formed by at least one of the separated inflatable pads on the vehicle to provide a pad chamber pressure signal which is a function of the pressure in the levitation pressure in a levitation chamber of a different pad, said means separate being selected so that the pad chamber pressure signal is provided by said separate means when the pressure in the levitation chamber of that pad drops significantly.

Claim 10

The combination as specified in claim 7 and orifice means in said separate means fluidly pneumatically connecting said pad chambers to regulate the rate of change of the pressure signals provided to the pad chambers by said separate means at different locations on said vehicle with respect to selected axes of said vehicle.

Claim 11

The combination as specified in claim 7 and signal opening means from each of said pad chambers to said separate means, and check valve means in said signal opening means to prevent fluid from flowing out said pad chambers into said separate means, but to permit flow from said separate means back into said pad chamber.